Are the Similan Islands Open? Season and Similan Tours from Phuket
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
The Similan Islands are open from mid-October to mid-May: our Similan tour card lists the national park closure as 15 May to 15 October, for the monsoon, and our Similan trips don't run in those months. Once the park is open we run two days from Phuket, a classic boat from Tablamu pier and an early trip that leaves the pier at 06:00, and weather can still change the programme, so check your date when booking.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similan islands: the classic day trip | About twelve hours | 2,600 ฿ | 2,400 ฿ |
| Similan islands, early departure | One day, 04:00–17:00 | 2,800 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
The season, as our cards give it
Closed from 15 May to 15 October, open the rest of the year. The classic Similan card names those two dates; the early-departure card says the same in other words, mid-May to mid-October. Outside the season there are no Similan days on our list at all.
So the answer to the most common question, are the Similans open in October, is only in the second half. Our cards start the season on 15 October.
The first weeks of the season
Both cards warn that weather can change the programme, and at the start of the season that line matters more than in February. If the Similans are the trip you came for, book them for the first half of your holiday and keep a spare day after. The general pattern of the year is on best time for island tours. Everything else that runs in October is on Phuket tours in October.
The classic Similan day
Pickup 05:30–06:30 and about an hour and a half by road to Tablamu port. The boat leaves at 07:30 with breakfast on board and a safety briefing. First snorkel at island 9 at 09:00, the climb to Sail Rock on island 8 at 10:00, then the beach there at 11:00.
Lunch is a Thai buffet on the boat at 12:30. A second snorkel at island 7 at 13:30, a last swim at island 4 at 14:30, and the boat heads back at 15:30, with the hotel around 18:00. National park fees, masks, snorkels and life jackets are included.
The early Similan boat
Pickup 04:00–05:00, a light buffet breakfast at the pier at 05:30, and the speedboat leaves at 06:00. Island 4, Miang, comes first at 08:00. At 10:10 you see islands 7 and 9 from the boat and snorkel in open water, where the card says you may meet sea turtles. Lunch box and Sail Rock on island 8 at 11:30.
Departure at 14:00, the pier at 16:00–16:30 with dinner there, and hotels from 17:00. Masks, snorkels, fins, towels and a beer at the pier in the morning are included. Whether the early start is worth it for you is on is the early bird Similan tour worth the extra cost.
Khao Lak and the transfer
Both trips include the transfer from hotels on Phuket and in Khao Lak, so you don't need to move north for the night. The classic card adds that transfer time depends on where your hotel is. What else Khao Lak means on our tours is on Khao Lak: what to expect.
Who the Similan day suits
Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and on the classic day under-fours travel free without their own seat. The early boat is not recommended for children under four because of the start. The classic card rules out pregnancy and back or knee problems. Facilities on the islands are limited, so bring what you need for the day, and a warm layer helps on the boat.
What to bring
The classic card asks for a passport or a copy of it. Both cards list swimwear, a towel, a change of clothes, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, a waterproof phone case, cash and seasickness tablets if you need them; the early card adds a warm top for the boat.
If your dates fall in the closed months
Racha Yai and Coral island are the snorkelling days we'd point you to instead; Racha or Coral for snorkelling compares our three trips there. Phi Phi has its own rules for Maya Bay, explained on is Maya Bay open. Weather decides those days one by one, so ask about your date in the chat.
Guide and booking
Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Send the trip, the date, your hotel and everyone's ages; we confirm the programme and the total, and payment is agreed in the chat after that. Ask about the cancellation terms when booking, especially for a date near the start of the season. What to send us and what to bring is on how to book a Similan islands tour. Asked about the Surin Islands instead? Similan or Surin explains what we run and what we don't.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Are the Similan Islands open now?
From mid-October to mid-May, yes. Our card lists the closure as 15 May to 15 October; check your exact date in the chat when booking, because weather can change the programme.
Are the Similan Islands open in October?
Only in the second half. Our cards start the season on 15 October, and the first weeks depend more on the weather, so keep a spare day.
When do the Similan Islands close?
On 15 May, for the monsoon, according to our Similan card. Our Similan trips do not run again until 15 October.
Can I join a Similan trip from Khao Lak?
Yes. Both of our Similan trips include the transfer from hotels on Phuket and in Khao Lak.
Is the national park fee included?
On the classic Similan day, yes, together with breakfast, a buffet lunch and snorkelling gear. For the early boat, confirm it when booking.
Can young children go to the Similans?
On the classic day, yes: under-fours travel free and children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price. The early boat is not recommended for children under four.
During which months are Similan and Surin excursions unavailable?
Our Similan trips don't run from mid-May to mid-October, when the national park closes for the monsoon. We don't run Surin trips, so we can't speak for those.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.